A bill approved by the Arizona Legislature would end the flat
right that misdemeanor DUI defendants now have under state law to a
jury trial for a first offense.

The legislator who sponsored the bill called the jury change
reasonable because other changes in the bill ease potential
penalties for first-time DUI offenders, while a defense attorney
called the jury change an "appalling" loss of a protection for
defendants.

With the change, a judge would decide whether to grant a request
for a jury trial. The alternative is for a judge to hear the case.
People charged with repeat offenses still would have a right to a
jury trial.

-----------------------------------

Arizona CONstitution (toilet paper)

23. Trial by jury; number of jurors specified by
law

Section 23. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate.
Juries in criminal cases in which a sentence of death or imprisonment for
thirty years or more is authorized by law shall consist of twelve persons. In
all criminal cases the unanimous consent of the jurors shall be necessary to
render a verdict. In all other cases, the number of jurors, not less than
six, and the number required to render a verdict, shall be specified by law.

24. Rights of accused in criminal prosecutions

Section 24. In criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have
the right to ... have a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the county in which the
offense is alleged to have been committed, ....